Kinou, Kyou, ano mada iie Ashita
by Vanessa S. Quest
Summary: Story COMPLETED This is a response to Kasra's contest with Kyou. (No option for his character in selecting soooo... Omi's name gets props as always. Otaku TM!)
1. Chapter 1

Kinou, Kyou, ano mada iie Ashita by Vanessa S. Quest  
  
A/N: This is in response to Kasra's fanfic challenge- write the best Kyou fic and win a prize! ^_^ I'm not telling what though. Bug her; she's up on this site. ^____^  
  
Disclaimer- I do not own Weiss Kreuz. Not EVEN Gluhen... how unfair is that?! They have HOW many extra Weisse lying about and would they share even ONE?! No! Gaw. So unfair. ^_^ As you can see, I make no money and do not own Weiss, please do not sue me.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Rain started to fall from the sky onto the unsuspecting city of Tokyo. Droplets first pretended to be a short storm, a drizzle, and then revealed their true strength as the rain stretched to stay for hours.  
  
The soft gray sky shown in peaks the hidden sun, but even with the threat of sunlight the rain never relented. Instead it grew more determined and began to come down with a heavy force, allowing wind to alter its path as it blew underneath the umbrellas to soak the busy Tokyo urbanites with their life giving moisture.  
  
Omi looked out the window from his office atop of Kritiker's new building. He sighed a longing breath.  
  
He hated it here.  
  
He hated not being with the ones he loved.  
  
He hated sending people to do his work.  
  
He hated letting inexperienced people die.  
  
And most of all he hated not being Omi anymore. He hated Mamoru. He never even met him, or met himself again if that was possible, but he knew what his sacrifice meant. So long as Takatori Mamoru sat in this throne and ran Kritiker his beloved family Weiss would always be safe, or as safe as assassins could be. Regrettably that was no guarantee as Weiss had been the best team during the fall of Kritiker and had stayed strong while rebuilding it. A strength Omi needed to keep as an asset not send on early retirement.  
  
What's worse was now that he held Persia's old chair he had to remain out of the fire. On the day Mamoru resurfaced, Tsukiyono Omi and Bombay drowned in his wake. Maybe that was what he resented most about being Mamoru. He couldn't even keep the name his father had given him; regardless of whether Shuichi was only his uncle by birth- he still raised OMI. And now he honored a family he had done nothing but hated in Weiss.  
  
At times he even hated Ouka for betraying him, leaving him alone, just when they found each other as they had, though those emotions always passed quickly.  
  
He looked at his mound of paperwork; humming in the back of his head Yoji poked fun at him for looking at things children like he shouldn't be looking at.  
  
He had quite a few new applications to arrange. Apparently Esset's reaches effected more people than anyone had really thought. Now Epitaph, a cousin to Esset, needed to be stopped. Esset was said to want to rule the world through the sacrifice of an ageless innocent. Epitaph wanted to give birth to a corrupted immortal.  
  
He had to keep Weiss strong. But ever since the mission involving Kaori...  
  
Ken had changed. Something inside him was growing dark and Omi saw it. Ken needed to get out of this before he was gone forever. There would always be a new evil, there would always be a new monster hiding in closets no matter how many Weiss killed. The trouble is, once you stop killing big monsters to be a hero, and you only kill small monsters- you're a monster, a vigilante, and someone will turn to hunt you.  
  
No. Omi wouldn't allow it, even if Mamoru had to sit on his ass for the rest of his life in repent, he couldn't do that to any of them.  
  
Yoji had lost Asuka, and loses Asuka in every woman he's met since Weiss. If he didn't break free he would die alone, something that man was so very afraid of.  
  
Ken, Ken lost himself each time he failed to save someone innocent, or killed a beast that fed off of the innocent. Each time he lost a friend a larger part died. Soon Ken would be dead, if only mentally.  
  
Aya. Ran. Ran was a sad story all on his own. He lost his family only to get back Aya-chan, and now he feels he's too bloody to ever hold her. He has decreed his urge to be Weiss forever, to protect those who couldn't protect- to save any Fujiyama would-be's the future might bring. Not just his family, or his sister, but any child burdened to pick up a sword to avenge them. Too bad Aya's made enough enemies who view themselves as victims to the same fate.  
  
He had to remove Ran soon, if not from Kritiker then at least from Weiss and any hall of records. If Ran's name died he could live.  
  
That led him to the hole in Weiss. Weiss had worked so well because of its diversity. Two long range, two close range fighters and each range having a position.  
  
But now there was a hole in that, and in applications. Some of these people were promising, but with so little training and a mission so pressing as Epitaph? He had to assign a team together and see how they worked, first using smaller targets until the taste of blood was more familiar than the bile of vengeance.  
  
First application in the pile was a boy named Takeru. A boy who wished to enter Weiss at the same age Omi had.  
  
Omi had been the first of Weiss. The others thought they had been placed there first because of training and life experience, but Omi had been there since the beginning. He had seen three Weiss formed, and as of now only two destroyed. Maybe this Takeru would be able to be like Omi, but that thought itself hurt. How was he supposed to replace himself to his family?  
  
He closed his eyes and rubbed his face.  
  
He'd gone THROUGH this, if he didn't replace Omi, his family might die in the next mission. There were two holes in Weiss.  
  
Omi was the information gathering side AND the long distance sniper. Takeru could be long distance but he lacked far too much to make a good analyst. Maybe Aya could be trained, but to get Aya out of Weiss and into something new, that hole would still exist.  
  
This was a training mold. Anyone who would become the new Weiss had to be able to merge into THIS Weiss's dynamics and then when presented merge into its own. "Takeru and Kyou it is."  
  
Omi sighed. "Kyou looks more stable than Ken, and maybe Takeru and he will be able to bond." He thought about their bios.  
  
He leaned back into his chair, wiping his tired eyes. "Why can't I be with my friends? Why am I made to endure this?"  
  
Laker walked straight into Mamoru's office baring the peace offering of lunch.  
  
"Persia. What's wrong?"  
  
He looked down, "There's nothing wrong Laker, thank you. I'm just reviewing the new members of Weiss, please contact Aguri Kyou and Kisuragi Takeru and tell them they will be moving into Koneko no Same Ie."  
  
She nodded then turned to leave. "And their first mission...?"  
  
He looked down, "The latest reports say a ring of assassins is trying to eliminate Kritiker agents. Weiss will have to kill the head of this movement. I'm compiling the data our field agents got in as we speak."  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
"Weiss. Your mission is to hunt down the dark beasts that dare hunt in the light. Your target is Uragi Make, head of the assassin group known as Rosen Kreuz. Rosen Kreuz is a powerful new group of assassins, if you come across them do not engage unless it is your only option. Our intelligence tells us they have super-human strengths though what they are has not been revealed. Deny these beasts their tomorrow!"  
  
Ken looked at the video. "Oi, it's so weird to hear Omitchi telling us what to do... as Persia?"  
  
Laker glared at him, "He is not Omi. He is Persia. Are you in or not?"  
  
Ken glanced up and down at her, "Hai." He took the file from her, "Orei. Are you sure these new guys can handle this?"  
  
"Persia is confident."  
  
Aya looked Laker over. "Send Persia our regards." He took up the file, "Perhaps it would be for the better if he disguised his voice. It is... strange taking orders from someone we know confidently."  
  
She nodded. "I'll pass the suggestion on to him. Sena, Kyou? Are you in?"  
  
Kyou nodded. "It's wrong that these people kill so indiscriminately. They murder for self-gain and that is abominable."  
  
Sena's eyes looked into Kyou. Kyou was so strong!  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen 1.‡*~  
  
TBC. 


	2. Chapter 2

Kinou, Kyou, ano mada iie Ashita 2 by Vanessa S. Quest  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
"Arigatou, Persia-san, thank you so much for giving me this chance!"  
  
"Sena, I am very glad to have you here, it is very important that you remember you are Izumi Sena, your other name died before you were born into Weiss."  
  
"Hai, Persia-san."  
  
Laker stood in attention at the door to the office overlooking the meeting, "I have the file, sir."  
  
Mamoru nodded, "Sena, this is your code information, the breed of cat that will be used to identify you, your flower, and your transfer papers to your new school as well as the address of your apartment and day job. This is a lot to manage but I know you can handle it." His eyes sparkled a dead look that seemed to show concern and passion but in all truths hid his longing to be that boy again. "Please send Aguri Kyou in after you leave."  
  
Sena bowed, "Hai."  
  
"And Sena..."  
  
The young boy turned to face the youthful man with tiredness pressed across his face. "Hai?"  
  
"Welcome to Kritiker, Weiss is a very important part of Kritiker and to me, take care."  
  
Sena lowered his head and smiled, "Arigatou."  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Omi looked out the window, time traveling like seconds to Omi's dulled mind when instead minutes passed. "Kyou-san, how long did you plan on standing there?"  
  
Kyou blushed looking down, "Gomen... I didn't want to disturb you, Persia."  
  
Omi smiled, it was almost like Aya for a moment, no he couldn't do that to himself, Mamoru had to be stronger than that.  
  
"As you may already know, you have been accepted into Weiss Kreuz, Laker?"  
  
Laker returned to her sentinel without missing a step. She held a folder thinner than the last but other than that, identical.  
  
"Inside this folder is your code information, your cover- an apartment and a day job. You are responsible for gathering information, as well as delivering this to a man named Fujiyama Aya, these are your orders as well as Izumi Sena's. You will report to Aya as the leader of the group who will in turn report to me. Is this clear?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Alright, Kyou-san, also, deliver this envelope to Aya, he will understand." Mamoru handed Kyou a folder and letter, on the letter Tsukiyono Omi in kanji slid down the upper left corner, Fujiyama Aya in the center also in kanji. "As I told Sena, Weiss is very important to Kritiker and myself, keep your skills up and be careful. Welcome aboard."  
  
Kyou nodded and took his leave, all the while noticing just how young Persia was.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Aya stared at the information now in hand. Omi was working quickly, something was happening, the urgency in Omi's voice couldn't possibly be due to this Rosen Kreuz, no it had to be something else but what?  
  
Aya shook the thought from his mind, all thoughts of Omi were to be set aside at least for now. He knew how hard it was for Omi to be Persia, worse still to be Mamoru and for Aya to poke his nose in would only make it harder for the both of them, he had to be distant, he was the leader of Weiss and if he couldn't lead them well lives would suffer.  
  
His hand slid over the letter Omi had sent to him as well as the file Mamoru had given him. Aguri Kyou would soon replace Ken, Aya was to make sure that Sena and Kyou were put in similar shifts and spent as much time together as possible. What he was doing was obvious, he wanted the two assassins to become closest to each other, probably to move them later, Aya noted mentally.  
  
"Kyou, are you skilled with the computer?"  
  
Kyou looked down with a slight blush, "Not particularly, but I am up to Kritiker requirements."  
  
Aya nodded in understanding, "Alright then, you and Sena will open the shop tomorrow at eleven, I'll work on a mission plan."  
  
Kyou nodded, he had now been in Weiss's company for two days, opening the flower shop would be interesting to say the least.  
  
"Do you have any questions?" Aya noted Kyou's figure still present after fifty seconds passed.  
  
His eyes enlarged, "E! Gomen, I was just... wondering if there are any deliveries to Koneko no Same Ie on Saturday."  
  
Aya turned from the screen momentarily, "Those come in at night from International Air Parcel Service- IAPS, all you need to concern yourself with is the watering schedule, the planting schedule and making some arrangements, all of which is noted inside the backroom. We usually get a rush of customers around 14:00 so make sure you don't get lost in storage for too long, if you do Sena will be buried in marriage proposals from foolish otaku."  
  
Kyou cracked a smile, Aya's face flat. Ken leaned into the stairway. "He's not joking, we already lost one guy this year from a trample of the rabid beasts."  
  
Kyou gulped a nervous lump in his throat and grew a shade paler. Aya's lips turned at one corner causing him to smirk.  
  
Ken closed his eyes and turned a smile, "Ha, you're gullible! No, we don't run through members." He kept up his friendly smile, "And especially to fan girls. But trust me, you get a lot, usually weekdays right after school is hell and after we lost Omi..." Ken's voice cracked realizing what he just said. "N... nothing, it doesn't matter." He turned to go up the stairs forgetting his original point.  
  
The veins in Aya's forehead were well noted by Kyou as a sore subject. "I...is... is that the same Omi the letter mentioned?"  
  
Aya's eyes narrowed into a death glare that shocked Kyou to the point of stumbling. "G- Gomen nasai! It was on the envelope... that's all."  
  
Aya's glare softened slightly but still contented itself on Kyou's figure with a slight note of soreness.  
  
"Did he... die?" Kyou ventured. Aya turned away. "Were you lovers?"  
  
Aya felt his cheeks grow with heat but any signs of visible blush were apparently ignored by the brunette standing before him; 'impressive survival instinct.' Aya thought to himself in musing, Kyou was already afraid of him all he could do to not cackle came from remembering the question, anger returning.  
  
"Everyone in Weiss suffers from shadows of the past but soon you will realize that you must grow out of your tragic past not into it. Omi was that lesson for all of us, do not bring his name up again." It felt as though knives cut into his chest as he proclaimed those words, but the thought of his smiling genki, chibi Omi were least betrayed in his mind's eye than in the outside world.  
  
Kyou nodded, "Forgive me for intruding," he turned towards the stairs Ken had once held back, "I know what it's like to lose someone close to me too. It really does suck."  
  
Aya held the envelope in his hand tracing the edges with his mind. "Think nothing of it, just learn and carry on. You will soon realize when you joined Weiss you took up a cross with many burdens and few benefits."  
  
"Hai."  
  
Kyou moved gracefully up the steps and to his newly unpacked room.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Aya closed his eyes tightly, his fingers clenched around the paper of the letter, turning it in his hand he saw the familiar kanji in his hand that had awaited him each glorious morning after he and Omi had found themselves living in.  
  
He would awaken to a small love note from Omi, sometimes the letter was a list of things needed to be completed, or a list of things Omi had completed the night before, sometimes they were declarations of love, but always that same careful brushwork. Omi had signed to him "Aishiteiru Ran- kun"  
  
Ran slid his hand through his hair and looked upward trying to hold the tears in his eyes, he just didn't have the strength to open the letter yet.  
  
TBC. 


	3. Chapter 3

Kinou, Kyou, ano mada iie Ashita 3 by Vanessa S. Quest  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Sena looked over the room, a small mess already growing from his presence, the next room over was Kyou's; the room across Kyou's was Ken's; the room across from Sena's apparently Yoji's and two rooms were at the end of the hall forming hallways upon themselves, the one to the right had been occupied by someone no longer present, yet many things remained there probably a waking memorial, beside that was Aya's.  
  
Sena turned into his pillow nuzzling the foreign object into a familiar pose. What happened? Who were they replacing? Did he die or did he just leave? Who were each of these men?  
  
Yoji? From meets the eye he was a playboy with damned eyes, he smelled of cheap booze, smokes and worse still women. Was this how Yoji always acted or just on weekends? What was his pain? Did he do these things to live on or die away- to remember or to forget? Would Sena wind up like that?  
  
Ken? He seemed like a walking contradiction though he tried to hide it. Kind to children yet always carrying around a scent of flowers mixed with the scent of blood, Sena doubted it was his own. Ken was tan, athletic and had blue eyes, eyes that too were damned. Instead of the damning from self- pity that Yoji's eyes seemed to hold, Ken's were like that of a mad-man with nothing left to understand, his eyes were damned by depravity. Was Ken mad? Was Ken always mad? If he hadn't always been mad what drove him to it and how could Sena go away from that and avoid it?  
  
Aya? His eyes were a cold fire, both damned to eternity and also damned to condemn all others, appropriate enough for his leader. He carried himself strongly, but was he alone? He seemed so deeply hurt yet very loved.  
  
Sena paused at that, it was a bitter-sweet dilemma, Aya seemed happy in his misery and Sena almost longed for that, how did that happen? How did Aya get to that point of happiness through sorrow? The empty bedroom across from Aya's room seemed to hold that though Sena didn't understand how.  
  
Then there was Kyou. Who would Kyou replace and why was he there? Kyou seemed to look a bit like Ken but acted nothing like it, Kyou was sensitive and yet hot-headed, athletic sure but like a brother already, he was friendly and his eyes were that of the betrayed- not the damned.  
  
What did Sena's eyes look like? Was he damned already or was this salvation his damnation?  
  
Sena sat up, it was so hard to think at times. He slid his feet into slippers and walked from his bedroom hoping that was allowed. Sleep was out of the question, the unfamiliarity of the room would keep him from his happy dreams and where those lacked his familiar nightmares were ready for him. Maybe he could talk to Kyou? At least that way he could get to know a person equally as estranged to this new habit that Koneko must house.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Aya looked at the envelope once more after returning upstairs to prepare for sleep.  
  
Sleep. Was it really sleep anymore, or was he just dead? After Omi left sleep had gone soon after. Instead of keeping close to his warm pillow he choked back the bile of a dreamless night without heat or passion. He wouldn't wake up at 2 AM to Omi nuzzling his neck after coming up from the computer or leaving his room to escape his childish demons.  
  
How could he dare label this dreamless husk of unconsciousness sleep? His restlessness made him grow angry at the Takatoris again, they took everything precious from him, his sister's presence, his family's life, and his Omi from his arms. Yet he had to be content, once he had filled Omi and no matter how long ago that was that warmth would always last in his heart, mind and soul. That's what made it love, Omi and he had been and would always be in love, even if from afar they knew it would never die, especially over a name.  
  
The name just damned them from each other's worlds. Aya found himself staring into Omi's closed door, tears at the corner of his eyes.  
  
Omi was gone. Omi had made the ultimate sacrifice, they both had really- they gave up love to protect one another. Aya would always protect Omi, he had to, even when Omi pleaded to Aya to kill him the moment he acted like a Takatori he was unsure if he could even do it, he had promised his lover but to do the deed... did the cross on his back really hold that much sin? He and Omi sacrificed their ability to share love, Omi had done it to protect them all, Aya allowed it to protect Omi.  
  
What were the real chances that if Omi rejected the name Takatori that his grandfather would let him live in peace? Let him live even! Could Aya really trust the man not to hunt Omi down to kidnap him and break him- lock him away forever? At least if Omi went voluntarily he could leave that shadow world for a slightly less dark world. Aya sighed, Omi always was a glowing beacon between all things dark. He never deserved these hells.  
  
Aya ran his fingers down his lover's familiar door and stopped immediately upon seeing Sena's shadow dance across the floor.  
  
"What are you doing up?"  
  
Sena froze in panic at the sudden boom of a voice. "N... nani? Who's there?"  
  
Aya shook his head, "You really need to get adjusted to seeing in the dark, darkness is our enemy and yet our ally. Geh." Aya flipped a light on so Sena wouldn't stumble blindly in the nice CLEAN hallway.  
  
Sena noticed the hint of disgust in Aya's voice, "Gom..."  
  
"Don't apologize, the bathroom is on the other end of the hall. Turn off the light when you're through."  
  
"Alright... but why do you leave it off?"  
  
Aya's eye twitched, this brat was like an inquisitive three year old, "Because if Yoji wakes up before noon due to that light he'll beat you a centimeter from your life's end. If *Ken* sees it he'll think someone is intruding and probably stab you by mistake bringing you a millimeter from your death, and if **I** wake up and realize you've wasted that much electricity I'll finish you off and have over-kill. Now brush your teeth, piss and go to bed baka." Aya stormed off back to his room.  
  
He rarely had to talk that much around Omi, Omi just saw his eyes and saw through him, Omi understood him. He missed his koibito.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Sena blinked as Aya slammed his door, surprised when only Kyou stumbled out of his room to recognize the sound.  
  
"Oi! Sena are you all right? What's going on?"  
  
Sena held up his hand, "Gomen! Aya-kun was showing me around, everything is fine."  
  
Yoji bellowed from his bedroom, "It's 5 in the fucking morning turn of the goddamn light you goddamn slave driver! Omi I mean it I am NOT waking up before the sun SETS fuck when it rises!"  
  
Sena looked at Kyou, "Maybe we should...?"  
  
"They must miss Omi very much."  
  
Sena bowed his head, "Who is Omi?"  
  
Yoji stood by his door, sleep still the active force of his body, "Damn it chibi you better at least have a breakfast ready for me to appease my spirit! Oi, Omi... where are you?" He opened the door, peeking out of the door to see if he could locate the genki he loved to tease so much.  
  
Upon sight of Sena and then Kyou his eyes froze, filtered out the blur and then corrected themselves. At the completion of the scene Yoji grumbled and swore angrily mostly at himself for hoping too much in his sleep. Yoji grabbed a pack of cigarettes, tapping the bottom of the pack he knocked one up into his waiting mouth and lit it. "If I'm up someone better be making a goddamn feast for me. You hear me new-guys? You can appease the angry playboy with coffee, eggs, bacon, French toast, fresh-squeezed orange juice and an apple, or by coffee and instant soup, I really don't care which but if you fuck up the coffee I'll kill you with your own hair."  
  
Sena gulped and quickly jumped to work. Kyou laughed robustly until he saw Yoji measure him up.  
  
"So I might have to braid your hair first... I'll still do it!" Kyou flicked the light off.  
  
"Sorry, I was just getting up for my morning shift and thought to turn on the light to see the alien hallway a bit better." He brushed his hand through the air waving off the conflict.  
  
"Fine, but I still want some damn coffee." Yoji noted a bit more relaxed as the nicotine pulled into his mouth in drags of smoldered tobacco and escaped in puffs of smoke.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Kyou pressed his back against the wall in the kitchen while he supervised his 16 year old counterpart's attempt to make coffee.  
  
"I'm sorry Kyou! I didn't mean to wake him up... I just wanted to talk to you." Sena sighed.  
  
"Hey, it's alright. Although..." Kyou sighed, "Now I guess I'll be up for the rest of the day." He turned his pout into a smiling squint, "I guess this gives us more chance to talk though. So, Sena, tell me about yourself! Do you have any brothers or sisters, what's your mom and dad like?"  
  
Sena froze, "I... I..." He lowered his head, tears freshly mixing to the kitchen hardwood floor.  
  
"...Nani? What is it Sena?"  
  
"My... m... my family is all gone. Someone ... someone assassinated them- all of us, they shot me and left me for dead. When I woke up and realized where I was, I was in Kritiker."  
  
The whites of Kyou's eyes were double their size, his irises shrunken in a sea of white, "I'm so sorry Sena." He noticed the tears collecting on the floor and quickly wrapped his arms around the boy.  
  
"My brother died, he was about your age when he... when he was killed. They said it was a suicide but I know my brother, he never would have killed himself. I loved him very much." With the same conviction, though sorrow depleted Kyou lowered himself to gaze into Sena's eyes. "Sena, will you be my brother?"  
  
Sena's tears slowed and a slight smile formed, "...Are you... sincere? H...Hai! Arigatou... aniisan."  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Aya turned in his bed, his eyes slightly parting as he let the early morning fill his sight, his mouth was parted in a slit, letting himself live a dream he pretended the sun was Omi's warmth kissing him, his fingers locked around his hair and squeezed softly. At the feeling of paper bending he released his grip while holding the paper ever diligent. "Aishiteiru, Omitchi." Aya opened his eyes fully, letting the phantom image of Omi fade away into the daylight.  
  
He sniffed the air, "I smell coffee..." he thought carefully, 'Sena probably woke Yoji up, baka. At least I'll get some coffee out of this.'  
  
Red tendrils stuck in strange angles as Aya sat up, once he ran his hands through the crimson strands they instantly fell to his command and laid in perfect place obediently as Omi had been in his arms and in his bed...  
  
Aya looked at his orange sweater and blue jeans, instead he opted for his brown sleeveless shirt and green button-down shirt that he always left half- undone. He smelled his brown shirt pretending to find Omi's scent there, Omi had a shirt like this...  
  
Damn he missed Omi so much. He slid on a pair of gray-black jeans, and long white trouser socks. He slipped a watch on and walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a morning piss.  
  
'Ah, routines.' Aya noted as he washed his hands after completing his morning 'business' with the toilet.  
  
The coffee still calling, he stepped from the bathroom in time to see Ken pulling at his crotch in his pajama pants, scratching himself. Ken yawned a large mouthy groan, "Mornin' Aya... whe'e 're the new guys? I smell coffee..."  
  
"Hn." Aya was almost tempted to answer a question that stupid, damn Sena's inquisitive naïve stupidity! 'Naivety... Ken was that once.' He hid his concern for Ken. 'I hope this works out well, Kyou needs to replace Ken before we lose him forever.'  
  
"In the kitchen probably..." Ken thought out loud. "I hope they made pancakes, Omi always made pancakes on Saturdays..."  
  
Aya nodded with a smirk, "He made them the best. Well, second to Yoji."  
  
Ken snickered, he remembered the instance Aya referenced, Yoji once woke up early and actually cooked- and oh what that was like! He accidentally used sugar instead of flour, purposely substituted rum for the water, somehow through other secret additions made it soluble, cooked it for less than a minute, added bourbon for syrup, set out some 'water' that smelled an awful lot like sake and Omi was the one who accidentally had the first try. After swallowing down the first bite Omi grabbed the nearest thing to drink- coincidentally the sake- and hit the floor as his glass hit the table. Needless to say, Omi stayed home from school sick that day.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
They all hovered in the kitchen, Aya near the door with his coffee.  
  
Yoji held his mug his upper lip puckered to hold an unlit cigarette under his nose, Ken sat across from him strewn in the chair, still yawning and scratching himself, Kyou was in the chair next to Yoji though his chair back was aligned so he was facing Aya and Sena. Sena leaned into the counter near the pot of coffee holding Kyou's mug about to hand it to the brunette.  
  
"By the way, there are only three things that warrant death in my books..." Yoji began, "Using up the last of my liquor or smokes, hurting a lady, and wasting coffee after waking me up while I have a hangover. If you wasted this by making it taste like shit we'll have your replacements by noon."  
  
Ken sipped his coffee while Yoji babbled, all his words seemed like mush to Ken. By the end of his second cup he realized everyone in Weiss- minus a very key part- were in the room. "Hey, Aya... how's the mission plan going?"  
  
Aya looked at Ken for a moment wondering what brought that up. Realizing what Ken had just figured out he nodded, "Hai- we'll move out tomorrow, I found the location of their base, Kyou, you'll team up with Ken, Sena you'll be under my wing. The mission will go underway at 1900 hours. The location is a foreign trade company called Darangehend Warenhaus, it was owned by a German trading house but our targets acquired this location for four months ago when the company was going under."  
  
Kyou nodded, "Will all of our targets be there?"  
  
"Supposedly, that is if this isn't a trap. I sent Laker word about our mission plan and she'll confirm it before the day's closing." Aya looked at his nails for a moment, "Our targets may be guarded by security, Rosen Kreuz and no telling how many others, all we have to do is kill the project heads and get out though, if it comes down to a confrontation with Rosen Kreuz try to avoid it, if unavoidable contact us to regroup, they're tough."  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Ee."  
  
"Sena, good coffee. You're allowed to live, but you have to make this every morning from now on!" Yoji informed as he tussled the boy's hair.  
  
TBC. 


	4. Chapter 4

Kinou, Kyou, ano mada iie Ashita 4 by Vanessa S. Quest  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Sena leaned into the counter, large droplets of water beaded into the wooden counter and soaked into his sleeves.  
  
Kyou watched him from the back room with a placid look washing his face. Sena was beautiful standing there, but a feeling of ghosts ran over his skin. Was this what Aya did? Watch Omi like this? He was pretty sure that Aya and Omi had been lovers, and Aya had been the one to suggest Kyou work in the back room... did Aya stand here, like this? Watching his beloved? It felt like he was in his own world and yet in someone else's private room, and more so private thoughts.  
  
"Sena, can you help me bring out the arrangements?" Kyou mentioned after a long minute.  
  
The sixteen year old jumped from his position enthusiastic to have a task, just standing they're cleaning the counter and waiting for costumers was driving him mad.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Sena loaded four heavy arrangements into Kyou's arms, Kyou smiled widely laughing as Sena held a broken white rose in his mouth pretending to do the tango.  
  
All the while in the back of his mind were thoughts on his first mission. He knew he could kill if he had to, and he knew he'd protect anyone in need of protecting- especially Sena, he had sworn to Sena he was like his brother but he knew better. His brother, though he had been Sena's age was hardly similar. Something about Sena made him feel the urge to protect him though, he didn't want to admit it as love but what if it was?  
  
His thoughts came back to what Aya had said, the whole scene burned into his mind.  
  
Aya looked at Ken for a moment. Realization struck his face and he nodded, "Hai- we'll move out tomorrow, I found the location of their base, Kyou, you'll team up with Ken, Sena you'll be under my wing. The mission will go underway at 1900 hours. The location is a foreign trade company called Darangehend Warenhaus, it was owned by a German trading house but our targets acquired this location four months ago when the company was going under."  
  
Kyou had nodded then, "Will all of our targets be there?"  
  
"Supposedly, that is if this isn't a trap. I sent Laker word about our mission plan and she'll confirm it before the day's closing." Aya looked at his nails for a moment, "Our targets may be guarded by security, Rosen Kreuz and no telling how many others, all we have to do is kill the project heads and get out though, if it comes down to a confrontation with Rosen Kreuz try to avoid it, if unavoidable contact us to regroup, they're tough."  
  
Sena poked Kyou's forehead. "Kyou-kun, what are you thinking about?"  
  
Kyou smiled lightly, "I was thinking about how beautiful these flowers smell, what about you?"  
  
The boy gave Kyou a cold stare and gave Kyou a brooding look. "Well *I'm* thinking about how much cat hair is all over the place."  
  
The older man gave Sena a strange look, "What cat hair? Did I get some on me? Where is it?"  
  
Sena laughed as Kyou looked over himself. "I didn't even see a cat...?"  
  
Sena started to howl with laughter, "Hai, hai... I didn't see a cat either, I was just teasing is all." He let out a small, giddy giggle. Neither of them noticed Aya standing in the doorway to the apartment. He crossed his arms lightly and held his apron.  
  
'Was that how Omi and I were?' He smiled lightly, critical of himself, 'we must have looked like idiots.' He looked upward into the ceiling, 'But we were happy fools.' His face turned stoic again. "Baka yaru! What are you doing? Put the arrangements in the freezer before they wilt."  
  
Kyou and Sena froze in their tracks as they looked at Aya, "Hai, hai!"  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Yoji slid the gate down half-expecting for a pair of red heals and sleek ankles to meet him there before completely closing down.  
  
Ken caught the glance in Yoji's eye but he knew better than to comment, he was very tempted to answer something like, 'If you want someone in pumps you could go to the bar or you could get me really drunk. I'm pretty agile in pumps- but also very lethal.' He thought against that on the grounds that he never had worn pumps and wasn't sure he was up for it either, though sometimes in Weiss he had to cross-dress even then his shoes were more platforms and at times just a wide heal- kind of like a wedge.  
  
They both turned their heads up in shock when they heard a soft rapping sound on the tin shutter.  
  
"Manx...?" Yoji breathed to himself in a bit of confusion.  
  
Ken shook his head, he slid up the grate. Laker stood there in a wonting pose, she could have passed for Manx had she not started to walk in. Though her hair was short blue-black, she had Manx's charisma and charms all of this with Birman's beauty and grace and twice the attitude of both women. Persia had probably tried just as hard to find someone to replace the holes Manx and Birman's deaths had as he did for Omi's replacement.  
  
"Konban wa, Laker."  
  
"Moshi-moshi minna." The blue-haired woman said with a polite smile, "Meeting room."  
  
Those two words rolled out an order as final as pressing the button to begin a lethal injection. Ken nodded once and closed the grate down, locking it and closing the second layer of armor before exiting the shop and turning the lights down low.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
"After the completion of this mission Persia has another mission set up that will require Balinese and Siberian to leave for Europe for an undefined period of time. He requests you make yourselves look as though you are on vacation. The hotels, flight, vehicle rentals and information is all ready for you, I will return after this mission to explain the course of action tomorrow night after you treat your injuries."  
  
Aya nodded.  
  
"We should be finished by 02:00 between expected travel time if we run into any complications, if all things go smoothly, by midnight."  
  
She bowed, "Arigatou. I will check before I come in, so not to embarrass the new members, unless you feel we should not shelter them?"  
  
Aya glanced to Sena and Kyou, "Sena, how endowed are you?"  
  
Sena's face turned beat red in shock at the strange question.  
  
"Judging by his reaction it may be more harmful if he is injured at your presence."  
  
"I understand." Laker commented.  
  
Ken sighed, "Shit. Does this mean we all have to make ourselves comfortable with our bodies AGAIN?!"  
  
Aya rolled his eyes.  
  
"Damn it Abyssinian, Balinese and I have to pack!" Ken glowered for a moment and then relaxed. "Fine, but this time I'm getting plastered and there better be no arguments!"  
  
Yoji smiled in tune, "Same here! Maybe if I get drunk enough Sena here will look more like a girl..."  
  
"HEY!" Sena gave Yoji an angry look.  
  
"And what would you do to him if he looked like a woman Yoji?" Ken said with a voice resonating in taboo, though the tone was strictly a humorous one.  
  
"...Well... you see," Yoji winked, "I don't believe in kissing and telling."  
  
Kyou hadn't realized he had stepped between Sena and Yoji in a protective manner.  
  
Aya smirked, he really might as well see if he could unnerve Kyou about this too, after all they ALL had to be comfortable with themselves, "And Kyou, have you seen boys naked before?"  
  
Kyou's face went white, "N... Nani?! Watashi nai hentai!"  
  
Ken let out a deep sounding cackle, "Orei, sure you aren't." He loudly whispered to Yoji to make sure everyone in the room heard it, "He likes it, you know he does, he's probably as big of a lecher as you Yo-ji."  
  
"Hey! I am NOT a lecher- well, ok so I am but STILL! I'm not a pedophile. I like my women 18 and ABOVE thank YOU."  
  
Kyou glared, "I didn't say I've SEEN boys naked let alone liked it! You misunderstand me! And I can't be a lecher! I'm a vir..." He bowed his head realizing he just admitted something very VERY embarrassing to relative strangers, "...gin." He let out a long sigh.  
  
Sena looked at Kyou with large eyes looking disturbingly like Omi when Omi was contemplating something while he was hyper. "Me too."  
  
Ken ruffled Sena's hair, "Well duh you're still a virgin, you probably just hit puberty."  
  
Sena growled, "Did not!"  
  
"What, you didn't hit puberty yet?" Yoji added.  
  
Aya rolled his eyes, Sena was... a painfully fascinating reminder of his lover and from his lover.  
  
Kyou glared at Yoji, "You know that's not what he meant!"  
  
Laker cleared her throat loudly, "Hemm... so, I'll meet you back here at 03:00 Monday morning, meeting adjourned. Good night boys."  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
08:00 rolled in, Sena wailed from behind his bedroom door. "But Kyou I don't waaaaaant to! Ken and Yoji will probably be mean and videotape it or something sick!"  
  
"We will NOT." Ken said exasperated.  
  
Aya nodded and added a solace, "Hai. I took all of the batteries and power chords."  
  
Yoji swore violently, "Let me put it this way- get out NOW before I decide to turn the AC on, and make me coffee you lazy good-for-nothing slacker! Omi NEVER missed a beat, naked or not, and trust me... Aya made sure he was naked more than not..."  
  
Aya's heal contacted Yoji's foot squarely making the playboy howl in temporary pain. "G... Gomen Aya."  
  
"How do I know this isn't some hazing prank?" Sena complained, his naked body shielded against his locked door.  
  
"Well, it is hazing but it's no prank." Aya explained.  
  
Kyou wrapped his arms around his bare chest, "Sena, I'm just as new as you are and I'm doing it, right now. Why would I lie to you? Just come out here and get this over with, I'd really like to go back to bed before I go in to work."  
  
Yoji smacked Kyou's ass, "Oh bullshit Kyou, you just rolled out of bed."  
  
Ken pointed his finger upward and winked, "I knew he was one and the same as Yoji, you lecherous brethren! You both sleep in the buff."  
  
"Ewwww." Sena made faces at the door, "How do you know that Ken-kun?!"  
  
"Well, have you heard Yoji bitch about having to get up and put effort into clothing himself yet? You want to know why you HAVEN'T?"  
  
"Because we're all naked and that would mean getting UN-dressed?"  
  
Ken banged the door, "Listen smart-ass..." He rolled his eyes, "Just get out here, and he wouldn't have to UNDRESS either, he sleeps in the nude, TRUST me, summer here is a scary sight around noon."  
  
"Ee... alright, but don't anyone laugh!"  
  
"Matta!" Aya said before Sena could open the door, holding the handle closed and trapping the sixteen year old behind it. "Yoji, Ken, the water balloons, put them down NOW."  
  
Ken poked his tongue out at Aya, "Aw god damn it you're no fun. If this was Omi you'd let us..."  
  
Ken quickly protected his feet by hiding behind Kyou, Aya just let out a slow winding growl.  
  
"Shove it Hidaka. Put the balloons DOWN."  
  
Yoji and Ken let the balloons drop to the ground, careful to make sure they wouldn't pop. Aya released the door handle. "Come on out Sena."  
  
Sena nodded, "Hai."  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Excerpt for Kasra's Contest (Higher Rating)  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Aya stepped into the kitchen, "Alright, get dressed. I think we've tolerated each other ENOUGH for today."  
  
"Don't you mean we're tolerant of each other and accept our bodies?"  
  
"No, no I don't." Aya said while slicing a tomato with his katana in a very angry, dangerous way.  
  
"Um, Aya-kun are you angry or are you just making a salad?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Right, I'm going to get changed now, bai-bai Aya-kun!" Sena bounced away happily. Kyou felt the beginnings of a nosebleed as Sena bounced and jiggled as he went past.  
  
Kyou's light charcoal-gray satin boxers clung to his thigh as he buttoned his white long-sleeved shirt.  
  
"Ohayo Aya, can I ask you something?"  
  
Aya slid his katana back down into the holster, his khaki pants hugged his waist seamlessly, his one-size-too-large black cotton long-sleeve button down shirt was left open to reveal his slim waist, defined chest and tight abs that Omi had once said put cheese graters to shame.  
  
"It's three in the afternoon, how is it a good morning?"  
  
Yoji tapped the coffee pot causing it to beep and hiss splattering hot liquids that were as valued as gold. "Iie! Coffee don't betray me, baby baby I need you!"  
  
Kyou looked at Yoji strangely, "Where did he come from?"  
  
"Well when a man and a woman love each other very much..." Yoji started, but halted when he saw Aya's glared.  
  
"He was taking out the trash- and trying to bring the liquor back into the building undetected."  
  
Yoji gave Aya the finger. "Bite me, I'm legal you know!"  
  
"It's a good morning because I slept in until now only seeing Yoji and Ken at 8:00 AM and now."  
  
Aya nodded, "Indeed, touché."  
  
Kyou nodded with a smile, "Thanks, I try."  
  
"Well, we all need to grab dinner and prepare for the mission tonight."  
  
TBC. 


	5. Chapter 5

Kinou, Kyou, ano mada iie Ashita 5 by Vanessa S. Quest  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Sena watched Kyou sharpen his long-handle battle-axe.  
  
"Kyou...?"  
  
"Hai Sena-chan?"  
  
Sena looked down with a slight blush, "Nothing."  
  
Kyou glanced up Sena once, "What's on your mind?"  
  
The brunette boy squirmed, "Isn't it weird how they all talk about Omi and we don't even know him, that we don't know anything about him? It's like this place is a frozen memory and we've broken some vow by walking into it..."  
  
"You're being silly. We're welcome- wanted- here. People talk about the ones they love, I think it's kind that they still concern themselves with a fallen comrade, in fact it makes me feel like if something happened that my life would still be remembered- all parts of it, the good, the happy, the sad and the bad."  
  
Sena's brown eyes glazed over with moisture, "Don't talk like that. You act like you're going to die, don't say things like that!"  
  
"Gomen, I didn't mean to make you worry." He hugged Sena, "I'm not going away, not tonight at least. It's just... I guess this cross carries more than Persia thought."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"He, and Aya, they both think it carries few benefits and many burdens, I think they forget one very important thing it also brings- it carries hope. Forgiveness, betrayal, hurt, but with everything it carries- it carries memories and as sad as memories can be, they are what makes us who we are."  
  
"Memories?"  
  
"Hai, our past shapes us, and from our past we spring into our future, we never live in either world though- always between yesterday and tomorrow."  
  
"And in Weiss our destiny is to live on the coattails of those times, to learn from our pain to ease that hurt in others."  
  
"I'd like to think that, Sena. I really would and that's why I joined." Kyou squeezed Sena's shoulder, "So, are you ready to get going?"  
  
Sena slid his vest on, "Hai. Kyou-kun, arigatou!"  
  
"No problem, Sena."  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Ken watched Yoji with a calculating look, "Is this right to you? It's our first mission without him..."  
  
"We'll just have to be more careful."  
  
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN KUDOU! I don't doubt Persia... how could I? I trusted him with my life countless times... it's just... now we have to watch out for these two kids, these amateurs."  
  
"As I said Ken, we'll just have to be more careful. We have to train them. Persia thinks they have potential otherwise he wouldn't have given them to us of all people. You know we have the most dangerous missions, you know that better than anyone else."  
  
Ken bowed his head once, "Hai, do you remember the time with Schreient... in that abandoned military deposit?"  
  
Yoji nodded, "Could I forget something like that?"  
  
"That was the first time I realized Omi was still a kid- that he could bleed and that he could die. I didn't like that feeling at all."  
  
"I know Ken, but listen... Tsukiyono Omi, that incarnation of him may be dead and buried... but ...but he lives on, in a different form but he's still the same, just farther away, in a better place. Gods, I hope it's better at least he never deserved this. Aya and I, we deserved this shit, even you didn't deserve this hell... but at least the three of us sought this out, Omi... he never had that choice to make, sometimes I think we all gave our heart to a puppet. Maybe even a doll, damn he was just too perfect for this world."  
  
Ken nodded, pulling on his bugnuks, "I like that, he was like a doll... a youthful face, that same happy expression- but those sad, dead eyes always gave him away."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Aya listened from the doorway, "Don't talk about him like that. He was no puppet and no doll. His eyes were not dead. Maybe neither of you looked deep enough into them, but there was life there, all his joys, sorrows, pleasures and pains they were all there if you stared deep enough- you just had to stare far enough past the blood spilt on his hands and in his arms." Aya looked upward, "I think he is the most alive person in this world, no- maybe not even a person maybe an angel."  
  
Aya raked his fingers through his eyes, "I'll get the others, its almost time to go."  
  
Ken and Yoji looked down in shame for a moment.  
  
Ken broke the silence first by punching his hand with a smile, "How many do you think the amateurs will kill? I bet you one beer a body each."  
  
"You're on!" Yoji said with a snigger, "I bet the big one will get one and a half- he and Sena will double team Sena's first."  
  
They shook hands and accepted the terms of the bet.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Aya wandered past Omi's door as per ritual this time noticing the door slightly ajar. Quietly Aya walked inside the door, he wondered who would go into Omi's private room and wondered if it was to meditate, snoop, or just to feel safe and comfortable.  
  
Aware that his presence if detected prematurely could ruin either of those states, he used as much stealth as he possessed. He expected it to be Ken to say the least, Yoji and himself had been in fact the ones to insist the door remained closed, Persia had said that it was a well needed resting place and understood it needed to remain as intact as possible- a shrine to Tsukiyono Omi if just a relic. Ken had for the first week gone in it regularly at 8 AM to wake Omi up when he hadn't come into work yet, each time he opened the door to see the bed packed away a deeper cut was made into his heart strings. Aya had no doubt loved Omi as a partner, but Ken had also loved Omi- as a brother.  
  
When he peered in and saw not Ken but Kyou surprised would be to say the least. Aya almost jumped out of his skin, although that was much too uncouth for him to actually do that. Instead, Aya cleared his throat.  
  
"What are you doing in here?"  
  
Kyou's hand pulled back sharply from the photograph of the four happy florists standing proudly on Omi's windowsill.  
  
"I... I was just wondering... who this Omi was."  
  
Aya lowered his head, he stood beside Kyou and put an affirmative hand onto his shoulder, his other hand instinctively turned over the photograph. "Omi was and is one of the most amazing people in this world. Though Persia has asked you to fill the position Omi left void he did not ask you to fill his shoes. He knows better," Aya took in the smell of Omi before shrugging towards the door. "We keep this door closed for a reason, this room is the only thing we have left of Omi- it's sort of a museum to him."  
  
"And the letter?"  
  
Aya closed his eyes, "I haven't opened it; I like to think I know what it says."  
  
"You did love him... was it allowed? Was that what went wrong?"  
  
Aya shook his head, "We didn't care if it was allowed, we were always careful ALWAYS careful." Aya sighed, "And nothing *went* wrong... what happened couldn't have been avoided by us had we tried to do things in a million different ways."  
  
"Then how did he die?"  
  
Aya froze, "I... can not answer that."  
  
Kyou walked out of Aya's grasp and to the door, "I see. Is it too hurtful or is it just something you aren't permitted to speak on?"  
  
"..." Aya's mouth hung slightly open, it was all of those things and many more, down to the last pulls of Aya's icy insides that Omi had done so well to melt.  
  
"I see. It is amazing how much he and Persia look alike, isn't it." Kyou said in a knowing voice, "You're right... it probably couldn't be avoided and we all become martyrs for what we truly love, and sometimes we also make sacrifices. Shall we hunt some wolves to spare the flock now?"  
  
Aya collected himself, snapping his mouth closed, "Hn. Get Sena the others are waiting."  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
They had arrived with little incident to the Daranghend Warehaus as Aya had expected. In his seven years working with Omi, Omi had taught him tricks for things to look for, Aya had too of course taught Omi some of his craft, like hand-to-hand combat or at least enough moves to keep Omi's body out of harm's way from even the most skilled attacker for at least three or four blows. Aya had been thankful that Omi had rarely needed to call upon the use of those skills but the few times he had it had saved his life. Omi had staved off enough blows for Ken or Yoji or Aya to come to his aid a handful of times, once including a battle royale of sorts with Takatori Reiji's private army.  
  
No he was not some unstoppable force to be reckoned with but he had been able to keep back his predators after his bullet wound.  
  
In turn, Omi had shown Aya backdoors into major computer programs, how to erase the data trail, how to log in as an admin on a server to remove his ICP address and make him that much harder to trace, and even how to trace ICP addresses. These were the sorts of skills people did not tend to teach in computer classes and Aya was happy his 'instructor' had decided to add them into the curriculum on this mission. But that was just how Omi was- he always was looking ahead and figuring out the best ways to do things.  
  
Once on the property they were able to hide their two vehicles with relative ease. Security was mild to moderate but Yoji made quick work of the guards with a few sets of wire, a few of the unluckier of guards met with Ken and the end of his claws.  
  
Ken's leather jacket was soaked with enough blood to signal he would soon need to get a new uniform, but apparently Omi had thought ahead and ordered Ken a jacket before he went away, that or maybe Persia had figured it out with Ken's new-found blood lust that Aya had reported on. That or perhaps Persia had decided to give Weiss a new set of uniforms to symbolize a new Weiss, whatever it was it really didn't matter because it was all the same- this jacket was retiring before Ken was, though he couldn't say he was unhappy about that.  
  
The jacket was decorated in bullet holes bloodstains and the weight of what he had done to earn each badge including murder his best friend Kase. The added bonus of outliving the jacket meant he had lived all the bit longer, so really he couldn't be upset by the idea of the new outfit someone saw fit in him possessing.  
  
He cut through another man, the soft skin of his belly parting like butter with a warm knife, really that had come from Ken's amazing arm strength and grace- and the mounts of adrenalin racing through his veins. As Yoji witnessed Ken drop down another three guards he wondered if the 1600¥ an hour they made were worth dying in the arms of a man with insane eyes. That just meant Yoji had to work that much harder and that much faster.  
  
Sena worked in clearing a path from behind Ken and Yoji, using what Ken thought of as a glorified Frisbee the sixteen-year-old brat cut a row down for just long enough to move through and kill more guards. Ken didn't feel like complaining it kept his hands busy.  
  
Aya and Kyou had moved through the other end of the building, in effects trapping their targets to the confines of the building. Aya and Kyou notably had fewer guards. Once inside the factory turned lab Aya quickly sent Kyou to work ordering him to smash all controls while setting explosives himself.  
  
Aya looked at the sky from the windows, the moon had moved enough to signal about an hour's worth of killing. Where the hell were Kudou, Hidaka, and Izumi? He'd have to lecture Sena on punctuality later.  
  
Perhaps cued by the sound of years of work being destroyed Uragi Make came from his office, four assistants behind him, they were amazingly similar to Schwartz for four women.  
  
The first woman wore a pale blue ribbon in his ebony hair, her eyes a black so hot it looked as though they were really twin sized coals replacing her entire eyes- no white could be seen around them, her fair complexion countered the image of her dark hair and eyes and made her seem almost like a machine. Aya presumed a killing machine as he gauged her. She didn't seem to have any weapons on her, her blue spandex bicycle shorts hidden partially by cut up light blue pants, an over-sized black t-shirt with a denim jacket a size too small over that, to her right was a woman perhaps two years younger, she had a long braid that was a striking red color, her eyes covered by sunglasses, she held a lighter that she kept flicking open and closed, she had a designer dress shirt, white button down with sleeves too long for her arms as the cuffs covered her fingertips, underneath it a black tang top could be distinguished, her long legs reached up to her high thigh where a pleated skirt blended with the un-tucked shirt to form a trim waist and hour-glass shape, she had half-laced combat boots and blue fishnets as well as a leather spike collar and wristbands. The her right was a woman older than all of them, she had short white-blond hair and eyes that pulled to you more so than the woman with ebony eyes, the clarity of her ice-blue eyes was like looking through the arctic, barren and cold. She wore an all black leather uniform that made her seem to be a dominatrix and the obvious pick for leader to Aya's mind. Unlike the other two, she held a whip though it looked as though it was much more for show. Across her arms were scars that would make Farfarello aroused by sheer quantity. Lastly there was a girl with hair well past her hips, a soft char-brown, she had a sense of timeless beauty like a geisha and a quietness as she hid slightly behind the domme to her left. She wore a traditional styled kimono colored by a white background and red rising suns and cranes the sleeves trailing leaving wooden sandals with white split-toe socks to slip out of the bottom.  
  
Aya looked at the man hiding behind four women, "Uragi you coward."  
  
"Why hello, Weiss. Let me introduce you..."  
  
'How did he know who we are...?'  
  
"Blau Kreuz," Make cocked his head cuing them to introduce themselves.  
  
The domme started, "Itami..." She held out her whip, as it slid into her hands an eerie icy glow emitted from her back.  
  
"Kyoufu," the brown-haired girl added, holding her hands up a small opening appeared in the center of each, a bubble of a mixture of air and energy came to her command in each palm.  
  
"Zetsubou," The black haired vixen said with stoically, parallel to Aya's most nonchalant moments.  
  
"Niru." The redhead said and then smiled darkly, she flicked the lighter somehow summoning a dragon made of heat.  
  
"Blau Kreuz!" They struck a pose.  
  
"Oi..." Ken started, "They always have to bite off our name."  
  
"Girls, leave me... Your job is not to guard me, now be dutiful my children."  
  
They each bowed, "Hai."  
  
"Well that was stupid." Kyou mentioned from the backdoor Aya had once entered through. "You just turned a fight of 5 to 6 to 1 to 6 our favor. Baka, you won't live to repeat the mistake."  
  
The man smirked, "Oh really..." Charging a beam of light in his hand he buckled his arm through the motion of the crane discharging the energy towards the door behind Kyou welding it closed in impact.  
  
Ken swallowed back, "Aw shit." He laughed in an oddly giddy fashion, "A challenge. Aha ha."  
  
TBC. 


	6. Chapter 6

Kinou, Kyou, ano mada iie Ashita 6 by Vanessa S. Quest  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Uragi Make, the newest target for the seasoned killers and first kill to the recruits smiled as he raised his hand readying another energy attack.  
  
Quick to the game, Kyou ducked from the blast and slowly made his way bobbing and weaving closer towards the man while Aya drew out his katana. Sena took out his circular blade and balanced it within the center of his palm using the meat that connected his thumb to his palm to carry the main weight of the blade holding it by the rubber grip.  
  
A sudden change in the air made three Weiss men snap to a ready stance, Sena quickly locking his thumb around the blade readying to launch it, Ken snapping his fingers into the bugnuks triggers release and closing the claws in a fast procession, Yoji pulled a fine wire two-thirds the reach of his arms in length. Uragi launched the energy towards the lights causing them to explode and fade the room into a dark gray-blue state. He charged up more energy in his hands causing slight illumination.  
  
Ken was first to throw himself at Uragi. Uragi was probably just hitting his thirties, he had dark brown hair that just bordered black, his skin was tight and youthful yet his build betrayed that he had grown into his adult years. With dark green eyes the man was very mysterious but at the same time very sinister. Ken swiped at the man but Uragi quickly backed up causing what would have been a lethal blow into a slight scratch across his arm.  
  
Infuriated, Uragi threw his stored energy directly into Ken's stomach, his krevlon armor taking the brunt of the blast. The shear force of the blow had been able to make Ken stumble back, but almost like a fine-tuned orchestra, as Ken faltered Sena's blade whirled forth, cutting Make's cheek with a long line.  
  
Uragi let out a hiss after touching his face with his injured left hand while his right hand busily readied an energy beam with a formal invitation to the smallest Weiss member.  
  
Yoji sent three sets of wire toward the man, the first string dodged only to corner him to the others, the other wires quickly fastened themselves to his hands where Yoji then by use of a water main and leverage left the man helpless with his arms hanging above his head, Yoji pulling the wire taught enough to assure his energy weapon was out of range of the wires.  
  
Aya and Kyou both took this as cue, Aya lunging forward into Make's stomach, Kyou down his back with his axe.  
  
Make let out a sound of a drowning man- a sound muffled by bloody gurgles. "See you in hell." Aya roughly ripped his katana from the now floundering target's soft insides and flicked it at such speed that the vibration managed to send most if not all the blood clean off the blade and onto the dirtied floor. Kyou jerked his axe out of the man's back and sent down a confirming blow into the back of Make's skull. He flinched slightly at the sound of bone cracking as metal won the contest between the two forces.  
  
Uragi Make's limp body fell to the floor as Yoji retracted his wire.  
  
"Well, that was anti-climatic." Yoji sighed as he picked out a cigarette from his inside coat pocket and brought it unlit to his mouth.  
  
"More over-kill than anti-climatic." Aya noted as he made his way to the building. "Clear out, all the research goes."  
  
The four other men nodded and made their way to their relative entrances and exits.  
  
Within minutes the fiery explosion had transformed into a steady blaze that would surely bring the place tumbling to the ground before it could be successfully extinguished- that is assuming the fire fighters would ever get the call to come, after all Kritiker watched all angles.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Aya reached into his deep-set pockets in his trench coat, his hand returning to the surface world baring a cell phone.  
  
He pressed several menu options then finally hit the number 4 sending him to Kritiker's direct line to Laker.  
  
"Moshi-moshi Abyssinian." Came a well-informed voice.  
  
"Moshi-moshi Laker, finished early see you as planned?"  
  
"Hai, hai. Sayonara!" Aya flipped his phone closed Laker pressed the END button. "Persia, they finished early, and by the sounds of it no casualties."  
  
The young man nodded from behind his office desk. "Good. I'm glad." The concern stretched over Omi's face was an obvious one to Laker, she put a friendly hand over his shoulder.  
  
"Are you sure you want me to deliver Siberian and Balinese this mission?"  
  
He bowed his head, "Hai, a change of setting might do the both of them a world of good, Abyssinian is needed to run Koneko and continue the others' training... and I need someone there we can trust, who is able to get the job done."  
  
She bowed, "Alright then, I'll be on my way, would you like me to arrange for your ride home?"  
  
Omi looked into his clasped hands, "I believe I'll wait for your return."  
  
She nodded and walked through the office door. "Anou... Persia, make sure you get enough sleep you look tired."  
  
"Hai, arigatou Laker."  
  
As she fell out of eyesight Omi dove into his desk drawer and carefully extracted a picture hidden under a stack of papers and files. Pulling out the same photo that sat inside his room back at Koneko no Same ie, Omi traced the shape of Aya's face before quickly wiping at his eyes. He flipped the framed picture over and opened up the back revealing a slightly yellow-with-age folded envelope.  
  
Taking the envelope with great gentleness he opened it revealing two small pictures and a flattened origami crane made with shiny paper. He pulled the crane's two wings just enough to reveal a brief kanji message that read: 'Forever I love you' he smiled, turning the crane over to view the other side of it's wing, a kanji message in different yet equally neat calligraphy read, 'And forever I'll be at your side.' He pressed the crane back to its original flat state and returned it to the envelope now concentrating on the photos.  
  
The only trinkets he had been able to sneak away- the last bits he had of Aya that he could hold every night if he so pleased, two out of a set of four pictures of Omi being cuddled by Aya and Omi turning into Aya's cuddle, his face level to Aya's as they sat on that bench as the photo light blinked, Omi had turned his head to the side and kissed Aya's ear whispering naughty things as his eyes watched the screen just as the image flashed. Aya still had his two of the set of four, the first of him kissing Omi's ear using more tongue then the boy had expected causing his nose to wriggle and smile that was a mixture between a large open-mouthed gasp and ecstatic grin, Aya had always loved the way Omi had looked even though Omi thought it was a lousy picture of himself. Aya noted that it only showed him for what he really was- happy, especially in his arms. The other picture was much more formal, Omi had his arms pushed down and looked stiff towards the camera with his big blue eyes looking forward to the camera snapping, a proper smile on his face as he wore his school uniform, Aya of course had sit in the back of the picture, his head leaned into Omi's perfect hair causing the red and gold to tangle into each other. Aya even gave Omi the pleasure of a small smirk- and that coming from Aya was like movie-stars accepting awards, Omi knew he had to give Aya that picture- Aya'd have killed him if that ever got into the wrong hands, like Yoji or Ken's. The teasing would never stop if they saw the ice queen melt...  
  
Tears spilled down Omi's cheeks and he knew it was time to put the pictures back into the envelope and stash his treasure away.  
  
Just as he slid his desk drawer open to put the photos away the door opened.  
  
~*‡.Weiss Kreuz Gluhen.‡*~  
  
Laker walked into the flower shop with a proud smile, "Persia is very pleased with each of you!" She said as greeting Kyou and Sena.  
  
"How do you both feel?"  
  
Yoji grinned as Ken grimaced, both men ignoring Laker's formal praising of the newest wolves. "Ken, I'm just saying a bet's a bet and it's like the Price is Right-- whoever is closer to the right number without going OVER wins, and frankly I won. So suck it up and buy me a beer."  
  
"No WAY! Sena may have killed more but Kyou still killed ONLY ONE GUY... that means I was right. Besides, you thought Sena would kill the least."  
  
"So did you!"  
  
"Why don't we each buy each other a beer and call it a tie?"  
  
"Deal."  
  
"Fine. Lakers is our witness." Ken smiled as the blue haired woman finally turned to approach the men.  
  
"Hai, I heard the whole thing, you may want to wait until you reach Germany before celebrating though." She handed them both a folder, "Your mission is to invade Epitaph's European base of operations by joining the ranks and then destroying the base. As I said earlier, your cover is tourists to the civilians, to Epitaph, you are really agents planted there as double agents sent from their base in Japan. Thanks to the hard work of one of our teams they were able to create this illusion with stories, false memories to some of the lower ranking staff, and the rest through hacking and rearranging the data."  
  
Ken nodded, "Cool."  
  
"Oh, and before you leave, I have your new uniforms." She presented Ken, Yoji, and Aya with three large boxes.  
  
Ken first to open his with his mastered shredding skills pulled out his skiing glasses and uniform, "Kawaii!" Ken squeed happily.  
  
Yoji gave Ken's a look and smirked, "You're such a girl Ken-Ken."  
  
"Like that means anything coming from you, how many hair products do YOU have under the sink, huh Yotan?!"  
  
The two glared at each other then Yoji quickly opened his, noticing the cowboy hat he smiled.  
  
"He gets a pimp hat?! Are you sure Kritiker really should boost his ego?" Ken continued to tease.  
  
"HEY! It is *not* a pimp hat, I don't NEED to get girls with money, I have something called charm."  
  
"...And rufies..." Ken snickered.  
  
"Shut up Hidaka! If I have to use this tape in here to duct tape you inside my luggage so help me I'll... wait, tape?!"  
  
"As per request, Persia thought it best to use your superb deflection skills by drawing the eye to your chest instead of Kyou's or Sena's that is why he gave you the red tape to make a cross down your chest and why the others' uniforms are..."  
  
Aya finally pulled the lid off his box and let out a stark, "It's WHITE! What in hell?!"  
  
"...White, that's right it's to make you more suitable targets. Your flight leaves in two hours, I recommend you two get going to the airport."  
  
Kyou smiled, "Won't Yoji's hair clash with his costume?"  
  
Yoji gave Kyou the finger, Laker added, "It would, had Persia not instructed me that his hair must be cut."  
  
"NANI?! ...That evil little shitterumyeah... How short?" Yoji turned his face from a scowl to a chibi smile and squint.  
  
"Very. You have an appointment for the hairdresser's once you land in Germany."  
  
Kyou let out a small cackle that paled in comparison to Ken's. "Bon voyage!"  
  
Laker turned towards the exit when her phone beeped. "Excuse me, this is from the office I have to take this."  
  
The five men nodded, Ken and Yoji hurrying to pack up the Seven.  
  
"Moshi-mo... NANI?!" She lowered her voice, "Douyatte? Hai, I see... they said that? Hai, we understand and accept. Hai, arigatou, calm down, we'll work on this immediately." She pressed END and immediately saw Aya hovering six inches from her face.  
  
"What happened? I just called Bombay and he didn't answer."  
  
She looked down, "I'll tell you once the others leave." She whispered as Ken and Yoji left, the remaining members waving as the two men lugged heavy baggage away. Once she heard the door click closed she returned to Aya's glare still only six inches from her face.  
  
In the lowest whisper imaginable she whispered, "It's Blau Kreuz- they've kidnapped Omi."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"It seems that way, it looks as though they have no clue he's Persia as they demanded that for ransom we present him to them."  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"That's Kritiker's job, so you worry about yours and we ours."  
  
Aya gave her a vehement look reserved for people about to die, usually... and on occasions Yoji for eating the last of his ho-hos. In just as quiet a whisper but with more tone and emphasis than one could perceive, "Omi's my lover that *makes* it my business. Keep me informed."  
  
She nodded, "Hai, I will. I must leave now, I'll contact you in the morning."  
  
"I'll be awaiting the call at 06:00 sharp."  
  
She nodded, "Hai."  
  
She looked around the room to spot where Kyou and Sena had gone, at first she thought they had left for upstairs after being dismissed but upon further inspection she froze in slight panic.  
  
There on the couch laid Sena, Kyou leaned upright into the back of the couch with Sena nuzzled into his shoulder.  
  
'Were they awake, did they here that...?' As she squinted her eyes to further her vision she saw the two breathing slowly, eyes closed. 'Asleep, good.'  
  
Aya gave Lakers a quick look-over, the fact that she had missed Kyou and Sena's presence made him feel anxious, after all if Lakers had been upset enough to forget to clear the room that could only mean she was very afraid for Omi's safety.  
  
"Lakers, how did they know it was Omi they kidnapped and not Bombay?"  
  
She looked at the floor, "Really I should leave..."  
  
"How." His voice commanded so much authority the uneasy woman knew she had no choice but answer.  
  
"They found at his desk a broken picture frame, inside it there had been pictures hidden in the back- of you and Omi with your names on it, I knew Omi had them... but... it felt wrong taking them from him after all this..."  
  
Aya nodded, "I see. 0600."  
  
She nodded and left the flower shop, spirits far lower than she could have believed.  
  
~Fin.~  
  
^____^ Well, that is all for the Kinou Kyou Ano Mada Iie Ashita series- Yesterday, Today and with no Tomorrow WILL BE SEQUELED... just... not for the contest. Wish me luck! 


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